Individuals with muscular disabilities are often limited in their mobility. This includes their ability to move around a house and in daily activities. Many children born with muscular disabilities are often unable to walk or move independently at any point in their lives without some type of assistance.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is one form of physical disability which affects how a person can move. All types of CP are characterized by abnormal muscle tone, reflexes, motor development and coordination. Classically, children with CP have delayed development which can result in poor muscle form. Often, if a child has cerebral palsy, that child has neuromuscular conditions which affect his or her ability to walk or move independently; therefore, these individuals often rely on others or they use support devices to move around.
Vertebral bodies, and other weight bearing body parts, such as the legs, need gravitational loading forces to develop properly. Children with CP are not able to adequately develop the muscles they need to move; therefore weight bearing areas do not get adequate gravitational loading forces for proper development. It is known that children with CP need help in developing their muscles; but they will improve somewhat if they receive extensive care from specialists.
Currently, the devices available to assist users with muscular disabilities are bulky and large. These devices can sometimes be so large a user is unable to move them through typical doorways, hallways or other areas of a house or building. Often times the user is out-weighted by the device. Often the weight and mass of such an assist device will cause a user to encounter difficulties in operating it because of the resistance imposed by the device itself.
Devices of the class which children can use to move around in an effort to increase their muscular function are usually floor based. These devices have wheels for children to move. However, the wheels may get caught or stuck on surfaces such as carpeting, objects on the floor, or other such obstacles which lay around a house. This usually results in a frustrating and strength draining experience for the user.
Thus, there remains a need for an apparatus which has a small footprint, is light-weight and gives a user with muscular disabilities the freedom to move independently throughout his or her home while simultaneously providing a means for the user to develop necessary muscles. There is a need for a device which will not cause a user to get stuck on obstacles or inhibit a child's movement while the child is attempting to build muscular strength.